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The Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology

We warmly welcome you to our department which consists of five institutes and a research network:

    Institute for General Didactics and School Pedagogy (IADS)
    Institute of General Educational Sciences and Vocational Pedagogy (IAEB)
    Institute of Psychology (IFP)
    Center for Research on Education and School Development (IFS)
    Institute for Social Pedagogy, Adult Education and Pedagogy in Early Childhood (ISEP)
    Research Network German Youth Institute (DJI)

Within the scope of our work we focus on education, which we address from different perspectives, by drawing on divergent theoretical, methodological, and research approaches. To this end, we cooperate across local, regional, and national borders and emphasize the importance of linking research, teaching,  and educational practice.

It is our goal to prepare our graduates in the best possible way for their intended activities in the different educational fields of work, so that they can successfully start their future practice- or research-oriented professions. At our department, many paths lead to professions in educational fields of work: in school and extracurricular practice, in administration, or in research and teaching at universities, to name just a few examples.

One of our central fields of work is teacher training for elementary, secondary, and vocational schools. We are one of the rare departments in Germany where psychology as a school subject at Gymnasium/comprehensive school and vocational schools can be studied as well as social pedagogy as a school subject for vocational schools.

Furthermore, we offer BA and MA courses leading to Bachelor and Master of Arts. Students attending these programs receive a foundation for professional, theory- and research-oriented work in education and social services. They get to know and learn how to critically reflect basic theoretical positions in educational science, acquire specialized knowledge and may in view of an intended later professional activity, study an elective subject, which can be chosen either within the department or from other departments at TU Dortmund University.

Finally, the central feature of our department is our broad research profile. Our institutes represent the university-wide profile area "Youth, School and Educational Research". Research projects at the Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology comprise the analysis and reflection of socialization, upbringing and educational processes, research on school didactics, early childhood and vocational education, school development and educational science. Our department teams are involved in national and international research networks and research projects. For further information please visit the web pages of our five institutes and one research network.

The department management